1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fishing reel including a brake device capable of applying a brake force to a spool while the spool is rotating.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a casting operation, due to the weight of terminal tackles, reaction of a fishing rod, wind and the like, a spool can be rotated suddenly, so that the rotation speed of the spool can be faster than the play-out speed of a fishing line to thereby cause a backlash. The backlash raises some troubles: for example, the backlash can cause the different portions of the fishing line to be entwined together, or can cause the fishing line to be inserted into between the outer peripheral portion of the flange of the spool and the reel main body. To prevent such troubles, there is conventionally known a fishing reel which includes a centrifugal brake device.
For example, in the registered Japanese Utility Model No. 2535505, Japanese Patent Publication No. 9-275860 of Heisei and the like, there is proposed a centrifugal brake device including a plurality of brake blocks which can be switched over between their respective brake operation positions and brake non-operation positions.
In the conventional centrifugal brake device, the brake blocks can be respectively slided in the spool radial direction due to a centrifugal force generated when the spool is rotated and thus can be frictionally contacted with a brake shoe fixed to the reel main body, thereby being able to apply a brake force, which corresponds to the then frictional contact pressure, to the spool. Also, the brake blocks can be switched by a restrict member provided in the present centrifugal brake device between their respective brake operation positions, where they are frictionally contacted with the brake shoe to thereby be able to apply a given brake force to the spool, and their respective brake non-operation positions where they are distant from the brake shoe to thereby allow the spool to rotate freely.
However, the conventional centrifugal brake device is structured such that it simply can switch the brake blocks over between the brake operation positions, where they are frictionally contacted with the brake shoe, and the brake non-operation positions where they are moved away from the brake shoe; that is, in the brake operation, since the brake blocks are contacted with the brake shoe instantaneously and with the same force, the brake force to be applied to the spool cannot be adjusted finely. As a result of this, it is impossible to carry out such casting operation as to be able to cope sufficiently and positively with the varying conditions (such as, the weight of terminal tackles, a distance up to a fishing point, wind, the skill of an angler, and the like) in an actual fishing spot.
Also, in the above-mentioned conventional centrifugal brake device, even in the spool low speed rotation that does not require a brake force (that is, even when the spool is to be rotated freely), the brake blocks can be frictionally contacted with the brake shoe due to the centrifugal force produced in the spool rotation operation, which makes it impossible to rotate the spool smoothly and lightly (freely). Due to this, the efficiency of the casting operation is degraded.
In addition, as another means, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-100187 of Showa, there is known a method in which a brake member is disposed in a support rod intersecting at right angles to a spool shaft in such a manner that it can be freely moved in the axial direction of the support rod, whereby the spool can be braked using a centrifugal force.
Also, in order to prevent the backlash positively by applying a stronger brake force to the spool in the rotation area thereof ranging from the low- to middle-speed rotation in the early stage of the casting operation as well as in the rotation area thereof ranging from the middle- to high-speed rotation, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-202234 of Showa, there is known a system in which the structure of the above-mentioned Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-100187 of Showa is employed as a primary brake structure, and a secondary brake structure is added to the primary brake structure, whereby the brake force can be applied to the spool sequentially according to the number of rotations.
However, in the structures disclosed in the above-mentioned two publications, since the rotation of the spool is braked from the early stage of the high-speed rotation of the spool, the brake force is applied to the spool before the spool rotation reaches the high-speed rotation in the casting operation early stage (that is, the rising area of the spool rotation) to thereby restrict the rotation of the spool, that is, restrict the initial rotation speed of the spool, with the result that the carrying distance of the terminal tackles cannot be extended. Therefore, there are still left problems to be solved in these structures when they are used as a spool brake device which not only can extend the carrying distance of the terminal tackles but also can prevent the backlash in the spool.
In the above-cited two conventional structures, because the rotation of the spool is braked from the high-speed rotation early stage of the spool, the rotation speed of the spool is not able to reach the high-speed rotation speed in the casting operation early stage, so that the carrying distance of the terminal tackles cannot be extended.